Ex-NY Senator Espada Found Guilty of Embezzlement

Former New York State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. has been found guilty of embezzlement charges. WAMC’s Dave Lucas has more…

A jury delivered the partial verdict Monday in federal court in Brooklyn. It was the 11th day of often tumultuous deliberations. The jury is still deliberating on charges against Espada's son and on four remaining counts against him.

Espada and his son were accused of looting $500,000 dollars from a health care network in the Bronx that was operated with state grants. Prosecutors said they lived a lavish lifestyle off the Soundview network while the clinics languished in poverty.

Lawyers for Espada and his son had argued their clients did nothing wrong — that it was their company and they were allowed to draw a salary. Espada was convicted on four counts of embezzlement.